Conquest of Evil - In The Beginning
by Shadow Ranger
Summary: Existence is the end of endless eternity without a beginning or an end.
1. Genesis

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, they belong to their respective copyright owners and are used here without permission. No money is being made from this fic.

Authors Note: This is an alternate universe with an alternate time line. 

Genesis

In the beginning, there was nothingness, an absolute void inside of which nothing could physically exist and outside of which nothing did exist. And the inside and the outside were the same for there was nothing to divide them. And there was no time to measure how long the void remained the same and no change to mark a point at which time could be measured. For an eternal stretch or the briefest moment everything was perfect. Just raw currents of potential energy that twirled throughout the darkness, but being only potential energy it did not change the state of the void.

Then a planet appeared. It did not form or merge from specks of dust because the void was a perfect void. There was no conversion energy to matter because there was no method for such a transformation to take place. Nor was there dark matter to become visible. The planet simply blinked into existence. And yet as there was no time when it appeared was unknown and how it was known that it had not been there before was unclear. But the perfect void was no longer a perfect void even though the planet was but a tiny drop of grey pigment in an ocean of black.

And upon the planet there appeared creatures of great size and complexity. Unbound by such things as biology, physics and logic, the creatures evolved without the limits of form and structure. Imaginary beings crafted by a mind that didn't know it existed, they were creatures too strange, complex and yet overly simple to be described or understood. Their nature defied reason and would have driven a sane man crazy, had there been a sense of sanity. And their presence disturbed the order of the void and so a new creature appeared at the will of the eternal nothingness and sought to consume all things that polluted the void.

And the creatures were consumed by the dark creature, returning to the void to a near perfect state, now guarded by the lone predator that laid in wait for anything that attempted to appear within the darkness and angrily lashing out at anything that invaded its domain. But despite its success the dark force was not satisfied; it was unable to destroy the planet, or harm the planet... or in any way affect the planet. And the void was now less perfect for it contained the planet and a creature that tried in vain to it.

Time didn't pass for the void was timeless and then something new appeared upon the planet, bringing a light to the darkness around it. It was an egg, a luminous shell protecting new life within, straining under the stress of the forces growing within its frail shell. The egg grew larger, the strain of the forces within combined with the violent attacks from the void's other occupant forced it to reach critical mass. Small cracks appeared in the structure and then the contents burst forth in an explosive release of Cosmic Power, obliterating the egg in the process and chasing away whatever had lurked in the darkness; the planet remained unscathed.

The universe was born. Large, filled with many interesting sights, it continued to grow for an immeasurable amount of time. But whenever it appeared that the swirling mists of colour and light would come together to form physical structure, the darkness seemed to consume it

The darkness could not prevent change, only delay it. A star ignited in the darkness bringing forth true light in the void. And then a planet formed in orbit around the lonely star. Life emerged once more and the first forms of intelligent species appeared, building - by their standards - a peaceful society. But the creature that lived within the darkness, the same creature that had been there in the void and had survived the explosion of the cosmic egg, was not prepared to share it with anything. Not the creatures that evolved at an astounding rate, not the planet it had tried in vain to destroy, and certainly not the strange creatures that had lived there.

Millions of years after they had emerged, a mere moment in the mind of the darkness that sought their destruction, the primitive race developed an understanding for their foe. They still feared the darkness, but it was not the crippling fear they had once known. They named it Entropy and they fought against it, eventually containing it, but too late to save their universe. For Entropy was a powerful foe and had already destroyed the very structure of their universe. Even as they banished it, a wave of destructive energy erupted, destroying everything in its path.

Space collapsed in upon itself. The universe compacted, all manner of matter and energy forcibly compressed into a rapidly shrinking space. The proud race that had conquered the first darkness could only watch, knowing that they would be wiped out by a phenomenon they could not control. Despite the advances they had made and their ability to perform wonders, this was something beyond their control.

Instead they tried to preserve something from their universe: an egg shaped vessel that contained a collection of genetic material from their race. The vessel was launched into space and barely escaped as their world was destroyed. Eventually the tiny vessel came to rest upon the only structure that had endured the destructive wave; the planet where it had all started.

The end arrived as the deflated universe reached a critical mass and collapsed back toward the first planet. Soon all that remained was the void, the lone planet, a tiny egg and somewhere a beast named Entropy. Closer inspection would have revealed the presence of tinier forms of life, the equivalent of the bacteria, viruses and parasites that appeared in many ecosystems. Despite the void being less of a void, it was dark and silent and for eons remained undisturbed. The monstrous Entropy ceased its attempts to break free and slept. 

* * *

When the change occurred was unknown for there was no means to measure the time that had elapsed between the ending of the universe and the present. The simple life forms had evolved in the darkness, learning to use the Cosmic energy to survive. Although it was raw power and uncontrollable, the primitive creatures evolved to a point where they could safely handle it. Some even developed the natural ability to alter the volatile energy, breaking it down into a less powerful but safer form. For the first time in a near eternity there was light in the darkness.

But the Power Cosmic was not there to be changed or controlled, or used to make pretty lights. It was a destructive force of change, obliterating the old to make way for the new. And even as it changed those capable of drawing its power, it grew more and more unstable. Finally something happened; whether it was one of the creatures drawing too much energy or a build up of pressure would never be known. A reaction took place, a spark ignited, a gas expanded and driven by the immense force of the Power Cosmic, an explosion tore through the darkness.

Infinite energy lit up the darkness, pushing forcing existence to expand outward, leaving only the small planet untouched. The creatures that had inhabited the planet were thrown through the expanding cosmos. The egg that contained the remnants of the previous universe was incubated by the cosmic radiation. It cracked open, giving birth to a new entity unlike anything seen before. It grew rapidly in the first moments of its life, the Power Cosmic feeding its cells and forcing it to evolve. Awareness followed, bringing with it understanding and rationalisation of its surroundings. Even in the chaos of creation it tried to apply its own logic and concepts of order to the events.

The new life fed upon the Power Cosmic, using it as an animal would food. And as its body processed the parts that it needed and could use, other forms of energy were released along with the building blocks of matter. And they were all expelled into the almost empty void and were carried along by the explosion.

At some point the occupants of the new universe became aware of the passage of time. With that awareness came sentience and true consciousness. The creatures that had existed on the planet after the death of the earlier universe evolved further, gaining limited abilities to think, and decide for themselves. By now the small life forms had grown into massive beasts of incredible power; creatures of fire and lights and power that were both beautiful and frightening, and impossible for the mind to truly appreciate.

The entity that had emerged from the egg had also grown and evolved. Although appearing in some moments as a male, a change in aspect caused it to look distinctly female. Too complex for gender it was both and neither. Its body was covered with the same bacteria and viruses and parasitic creatures that had evolved on the planet's surface. As time passed they too evolved until they were carried away by the still rushing force of the explosion. Their evolution was different than those that had been on the outside of the egg; the earlier creatures had belonged to the previous universe, while these were native to its replacement. The lone entity could not control them and as time passed they too left to find their own territories. Some would become useful in the new universe while others would become a nuisance. The Cosmic Beings were soon forgotten.

The thoughts and dreams of the entity shaped the nature of the new universe, creating layers of realms and dimensions. The newly formed creatures chose some of the early realms as their own dominion, placing themselves outside of the mainstream universe and looking down on those that would come to dwell within its boundaries. The entity was lost within his dreams and his lack of awareness led him to become locked within a realm of his own, protected from the rest of the universe and yet somehow guiding its formation; his mind had grown beyond the limitations of existence and so he never noticed as the universe became an eternal dream of the slumbering entity.

In a brief instant of lucidity, he somehow recognised the life growing within her body. She gathered the raw materials needed for life and bound them with his will, forcing the seed of life from her body into the new forms. These were the children of the single entity that they referred to as The One. Guided by his will these Celestials followed in the wake of the explosion, nudging reality to take form according to her desires and The One returned to its dreams.

As its slumbering mind processed the events going on around it, The One's thought pondered the unknown concepts of life, death, order, chaos, good and evil, along with many others. Its powers drew on those thoughts and abstract beings to represent them, each with an avatar to allow The One to learn through their experience as they set forth to explore creation.

Time passed, the universe expanded and The One grew along with it. His awareness was spread so fine that he rarely reacted to those that were capable of reaching his realm. Those that could visit him dwindled. The Power Cosmic fed him, allowing him to continue to grow. In turn other forms of energy passed from him, breaching the walls between his realm and the rest of existence. His subconscious sought to understand the strange emissions and created a new breed of beings charged with the task of overseeing and understanding the Power in its various forms. HE dubbed them Eternals. 

* * *

Elsewhere

The Celestials that The One had birthed into existence continued with their task despite his lack of guidance. They planted the seeds of life throughout the realms, nudging matter with bursts of Cosmic energy to form creatures capable of existing within their habitats. These were the first truly living beings, creatures very different from those that would eventually emerge. Shaped by the needs of their territory, they were creatures of matter, spirit, thought and energy; beings of fire, water, earth, air and other elements, some simple and other complex combinations.

They worked tirelessly in the name of their creator, crafting existence to how he would want it. Their task was never complete as the expanding universe offered them an increasing amount of work to perform. In her name they laboured, bringing glory to their father with every act. And never did they think about themselves or their own needs... well only once in a while. 

* * *

As the first sentient and independent races emerged, the conceptual beings The One had created to explore the ideas of good and evil, love and hate, chaos and order, among others, sent a constant stream of information to his slumbering mind. Although she was more than capable of handling the information, processing the many different thoughts took time. His mind became overwhelmed by the equal strength of what he came to understand to be opposing forces; until that point the differing concepts did not concern themselves with each other, but as The One struggled internally with his emotions, the conceptual beings also started to fight amongst themselves, pushing their avatars to fight on their behalf. And before long their conflict would spread further. 

* * *

In the darkness the force known as Entropy awoke. It had been trapped since the ending of the previous universe, but was impossible to eliminate completely looked away it could only wait for the opportunity to strike as a predator waits for its prey. Lacking a physical form it swept back and forth as a wave of destruction, growing daily but unable to have an effect while imprisoned outside of existence.

And then for some reason the barriers that had prevented it from entering the universe vanished and the destructive force was unleashed. By that time existence had grown so large that it would take a long time before anybody noticed.

**End of part **


	2. Birth of a Conflict

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, they belong to their respective copyright owners and are used here without permission. No money is being made from this fic.

Authors Note: This is an alternate universe with an alternate time line. 

Birth of a Conflict

In the beginning there had been the void and nothing else. Then a planet had appeared and with it a creature known as Entropy had been begotten to return the void to its previous stated. Life had tried to appear on the planet, but the destructive force had prevented it for a long time. Finally there had been an explosion and a universe had been created.

For a short time the universe had sustained itself before collapsing back into the void, leaving only the planet, Entropy trapped where it could not cause harm, a solitary egg and millions of life forms that had somehow survived. In time another explosion had followed, bigger than the one before, the creatures that had been on the planet had been evolved into cosmic beings of immense power and had taken off for new horizons; the egg had hatched.

That had been the beginning of The One. From his dreams had come the conceptual beings, while from his body had poured energy and matter. She had given birth to the first true life forms and had sent them out to shape reality. His body had fed upon the Power Cosmic from which the universe had formed and in return had expelled other forms of energy and matter to help build existence; he had created new life to understand the nature of that energy.

Many races had been shaped, beautiful creatures of every shape and form. Luminous beings, physical beings, some made of thought and others of spiritual mass. They lived within the man realms upon the different planes of existence that had been crafted for them. Some travelled, making the void their home while the explored. Other loved their territory so much that they refused to leave it. It was beautiful and strange, but all was not perfect.

The One had emerged from a tiny egg. The creatures that had surrounded the egg had been so tiny they had not registered as living until they had been evolved by the Power Cosmic. At the time he had emerged he had been the only true being in the new universe. He had literally been The One. Then she had given birth and suddenly The One had not just been The One. She had taken on a new role as the Life Giver. And then from his mind and his body he had created things and earned a new title as The Creator.

But while the One had accomplished great deeds, it was mentally a child. And the child's mind was overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions that it struggled to process. Emotions and concepts positive and negative played on its mind and in its dream. Slowly the conceptual beings it had mentally shaped were drawn together as he struggled to understand them. There were too many emotions, too many forces struggling for dominance. The One's mind snapped, lashing out at the physical avatars he had created for the conceptual beings to use to interact with the physical universe.

He drew them together and used the remained to create a single avatar, independent from the Conceptuals. Into that being he poured all the negative thoughts and feelings he had encountered. He crafted it to embody everything dark and evil about existence, filled it with the deep need to spread its wickedness and extinguish anything that opposed it. He granted it powers almost equal to his own and decreed that it was the single and dominating force of evil within The One's dominion.

Next, The One created a second body into which he poured all the positive emotions and feelings that he had experienced. Just as his first creation was the embodiment of darkness, fear, hate and evil, so this was the beacon of light, courage, hope, and love. He gave it powers equal to the dark avatar and a mission to be the light that drove the darkness away.

Finally to keep them from going too far in their struggle, he produced a third avatar, drawing him equally from the other two. Once again he shared his power, but other than a desire for peace he left it alone.

Then The One slipped into a deep slumber, so deep that he no longer dreamed, leaving the fate of existence to his final creations. The conceptual beings he had created before the avatars were left to simply dissipate or wander aimlessly. They were no longer important.

The three beings developed just as The One had evolved. They represented the internal struggle The One felt between good and evil, order and chaos, and existence and the non-existence. One being glowed with the near innocence The One had demonstrated and claimed the title Light. The second was so dark that he was barely visible against the void. He chose the name Darke. And the third represented the conflict between the others. Too dark to be Light and too light to be Darke, he represented balance and the resolution of their conflict. He was named Shadow.

Light and Darke unable to coexist and from the moment the felt The One's presence fade, they tried to erase each other from existence. To begin with the struggle was a war of words, but soon they turned to physical violence. Their blows had little effect on each other for they had been created as equals, however their battle echoed through the rest of existence, drawing the attention of the cosmos. Whenever their conflict threatened existence, Shadow stepped in and either calmed the conflict or punished the brother he decided was to blame. But despite their best efforts the two beings could not find peace and after being on the receiving end of his punishments, both considered Shadow more an enemy than an ally. 

* * *

The conflict between Light and Darke rapidly escalated beyond battles into all-out war. Both had inherited The One's ability to create new things and while neither could influence the first children, those The One had sent forth to oversee creation, they were capable of tainting those that followed. As the battle between Light and Darke raged, they recruited armies to fight for their cause, corrupting them with promises of power and glory. Those that agreed were granted access to the powers The Creator had made available.

But mere armies were not enough, they required weapons on a larger scale. To that end Light and Darke crafted giant beasts and filled them with power. Larger than the beings created by The One's original children, these creatures lacked sentience. They were bred to battle and to destroy anything in their path as they stormed through existence. While Light granted control of his creations to those that followed him, Darke allowed his beasts to run amok.

Light and Darke soon tired of using lesser creatures to fight on their behalf and instead created their own warriors just as The One had created avatars to carry out his will. Darke's creations were simply extensions of his will, capable of carrying out simply orders but little else. Meanwhile Light devised thirteen followers to represent him. They were intended to act not only as warriors, but as leaders and messengers to his forces. Warriors of body, mind and spirit, the fighting shifted between the many planes, realms and dimensions, spreading destruction wherever they appeared.

The first of Light's creations was Protos, a noble warrior birthed from a part of Light's spirit and encased in armour made of the material The One had produced. He carried a sword that glowed with the light of a newborn star Light had placed within its hilt. There was little it could not cut. With an energy matrix capable of channelling the spiritual energy of existence, he was the equal of Darke's vilest servants.

The others had their own attributes that made them vital assets to Light's forces. Though different they were united in purpose and dedicated to ending the evil of Darke and his army. Collectively the group was given a final gift: the ability to recruit others as Light had done, allowing them to create the next generation of guardians, the next line of defence against Darke's hordes.

However, Light had made an error when he had granted them free will. Darke's forces were tied to him forever and incapable of turning against their master. Light's followers were free to make their own decisions even if it meant betraying their creator. That left them vulnerable to Darke's twisted promises. Darke whispered in their minds just as he did to the other races that he had recruited. Some ignored him, dismissing his empty words for the lies they were. Others listened but did not accept his offerings; their failure to completely reject him though only helped to weaken the bond of purpose that existed between them. One however not only listened, but accepted Darke's offer, turning against the rest of the Covenant. strengthen while some listened to his words but refused to act against Light; one decided that Darke's offer of glory was worth accepting.

Though they were imperfect, the Covenant were powerful enough to take the fight to Darke's forces, slaying many of the creatures he spawned. And with their help, Light was able to drive Darke to an uninhabited plane of existence for a short time and used a great deal of his power to hold the villain there. Without Darke to lead them the army he created returned to the particles from which they were formed. The beings he had corrupted though remained and continued to fight in his name.

Meanwhile the followers of the Covenant grew into tribes watched over by one of Light's chosen. Their numbers swelled as they prepared for the day when Light would be forced to release his hold on Darke and the evil being would return. But things did not go well and as time passed the tribes started to fight amongst themselves. The Covenant tried to calm the tensions, unaware that one of their members was secretly undermining their efforts.

The upheaval meant that the Covenant were distracted and failed to noticed when the traitor broke from their ranks under the pretence of checking on Light. They were not at their lord's side when he was stabbed in the back by the traitor, forcing him to release Darke. By the time they realised what had happened, Darke had already attacked a weakened Light with the traitor's help and together they had defeated him.

The news that Light had fallen put an end to the infighting as the united Army of Light was mobilised to destroy Darke and the traitor, but the traitor had selected his tribe from those that were susceptible to Darke's teachings and at his command they had attacked the other tribes, sowing chaos in the ranks.

Without Light to lead them, Protos assumed command of the Covenant and their remaining armies. The traitor and his forces had taken them by surprise and had severely diminished their numbers. The enemy outranked them and had been bolstered by the addition forces the traitor had provided. Still, inspired by the courage of the Covenant, the Army of Light fought on, preventing Darke from claiming victory. To force a shift, both sides started to use the lesser beings of the universe as cannon fodder. For eons neither side was able to hold an advantage. For each warrior cut down on one side, so a member of the opposing army was slain.

In the end though it did not matter whose army had the most fighters; Protos was more powerful than most of those he met in single combat and was capable of fighting four or even five opponents at a time without problems and the rest of the Convenant were valiant fighters. Together the twelve warriors were almost equal to Darke himself. Unfortunately without the traitor they were only able to fight Darke to a draw and when the traitor was at his master's side, the Covenant was always at a disadvantage.

One by one the Covenant fell to Darke's power. Of the Avatar of Darkness would draw the Covenant into a trap that isolated one of them. The traitor would then lead the rest of Darke's warlords against the lone warrior, overpowering and dispatching him. And as the Covenant's numbers dwindled, so their armies also found themselves routed on the many battlefields. It appeared that Darke would triumph. 

* * *

But what of Shadow? While Light and Darke had set out to destroy each other, Shadow had show little interest in their squabble. In the beginning he had tried to stop the fighting by separating his brothers and punishing the offender for breaking the truce - for Light was often the one that attacked first due to Darke goading. When their feuding had escalated to all out war he had given up trying to bring peace and had instead watched from a distance as they destroyed the wonders of existence The Creator had built.

From time to time he intervened, when he felt that they had gone too far or that their fighting endangered those that were under his protection; those that didn't care about the war or valued peace above all other considerations were worthy of his protection. More than once he had sent one of his own creations to destroy both sides in the hope of ending the violence. Often it worked and the Army of Light and Warlords of Darke had come to fear the mighty Daijinryu whenever it appeared.

When Light had trapped Darke, Shadow had chosen not to intervene. He had realised that Light had been caught within his own prison, forced to constantly use his power to keep Darke from escaping. When the traitor had struck Light, breaking the spell and allowing Darke to force his way free, Shadow had watched as the evil duo had defeated the Avatar of Light. They had left him for dead, but had failed to make certain.

Light had survived. Somehow the avatar had clung to existence until Darke and his new underling had left. It was then that Shadow had approached, seeking to heal his brother as he had done for Light and Darke on previous occasions. This time though there was little he could do to repair the broken avatar. Instead he restored Light's strength and allowed him to decide what would happen next. He was unsurprised when Light decided on a final act that would bring his forces victory. 

* * *

The Covenant was broken. With Darke's power at his command, the traitor had devastated Light's warriors. Only Protos had survived and having been forced into a confrontation with Darke and his army, was on the brink of defeat.

The Army of Light had been reduced to only a few thousand soldiers, battling the Army of Darkness throughout existence. As Darke's power had grown, his armies had flourished. Those who followed Darke and his wicked practices were taught to channel power through symbols and written words. Later they would discover the ability to trap power inside an inanimate object such as a wand or to use the conductive properties of some atoms as a means of directing energy. As the final and ultimately the most effective means of focussing the destructive powers at their command, some of the older and most loyal followers allowed the arcane energies to corrupt their bodies, twisting them into sinister forms that could channel the mystical powers Darke offered his followers directly. Some could already direct magic in their natural form and were rapidly incorporated into the Army of Darkness.

The forces led by Protos on the other hand lacked the ability to naturally draw on the power without a conduit. Those who could do so were limited in their strength. They were forced to find safe ways to channel the energies. Some copied the use of books and wands to contain magic whilst others discovered that gems and precious metals could also be used.

In the end though it did not matter whose army had the most fighters or which group could draw the most power. Once Light had been overcome by the dark powers, the Covenant was the only thing that stood in Darke's way. With Protos destroyed Darke would claim victory. The final battle had begun. 

* * *

Protos, the last member of the Covenant, was injured. His body, made from the pure matter emitted by the Life Giver himself was failing. The once white plating was marred with dents and scorch marks; it no longer shone with light. It had been the traitor that had delivered the fatal blow, striking from behind when Protos had been focussed on Darke. Tossed through the dimensions, he had landed in one of the lower planes, a primitive part of existence that had yet to evolve. As he gazed up at the blackened sky he knew there was a chance that should Darke triumph, it would never have the chance to evolve.

He tried to reach out to the energy that had sustained him throughout the war, but his injuries were such that he found it impossible to focus long enough to use it. It was only stubbornness that allowed him to hold on as long as he did. He refused to give Darke the satisfaction if seeing him give up.

The tide of the war had turned against him and the bulk of his army had either been destroy or drawn away from the front lines. Protos had been trying to rally his forces, any forces at all, when out of the smog had emerged three of Darke's freakish followers. They were ugly brutes, powerful without question, but little more than fodder intended to tire Protos enough for Darke to hold a real advantage.

They had circled around him, just beyond the reach of his sword, neither attacking nor parrying, laughing at the rewards they would reap for destroying their master's most hated enemy. He had known that they were delaying, he had seen it in their movements. They appeared eager to attack and take the kill, but in reality they were just there to keep him caged in while they waited for their master to savour the glory.

Protos had raised his sword, allowing his energy to flow through the skilfully crafted blade. The hilt had glowed brightly as he and the weapon became a single entity, moving with precision and grace. The sword had shone and caused his opponents to back up, ready for the attack. Instead of pressing his attack, he had made to retreat, knowing that like a pack of wild beasts they would sense weakness and move in closer.

Three against one, with those odds there was no doubt that they would attack. His sword moved swiftly and slew the first two with a single swing. But that tremendous move had thrown Protos off balance. And though he quickly corrected his stance, the third attacker had ducked inside his guard and lashed out with his own sword. The creature had brought the blade in low and caught Protos on the right knee. Protos had stumbled, surprised that the blow had affected him, but his sword had swung itself around and cleaved off the attacker's arm.

The burst of dark energy had caught him by surprise and had torn through his side. Darke had been waiting for the opportunity to attack. The two warriors had clashed, but Darke had always been stronger than individual members of the Covenant and Protos was injured. Still the leader of the Covenant had managed to frustrate his opponent with his skill. It had been a cowardly blow, but one that was undeniably effective. The traitor had appeared out of thin air and stabbed Protos in the shoulder. Darke did not waste the opportunity to savage his opponent, striking him repeatedly until Protos had fallen. And then together Darke and his warrior had loomed over over the fallen disciple, savouring the moment that had won the war. It was a moment's delay that would cost them.

Light and Darke were complex and powerful creatures, but they were not completely indestructible. Their bodies could be damaged and even destroyed with a great deal of difficulty. Light's body had already been beyond even the power The One had gifted his three children. Shadow had failed to heal the broken body body had strengthened the spirit within just enough for a final attack. For if there was a way to permanently destroy an avatar, it was to trap them within their physical form at the time it expired.

Although weaker than Light and Darke, their creations, especially Light's Covenant, could also survive the loss of their physical bodies providing they could escape the ruined shell. Darke had ensured that escape would not be a possibility. The traitor had positioned himself in front of his fallen enemy and charged a ball of dark energy. At the point when the armour opened, there would be a brief period during which he could blast his opponent's soul. To do so would have ensured Protos' demise. And while survival was possible even nanoseconds from the death of their adopted forms, remaining in the body once it expired meant certain doom.

As Protos looked up at his enemy, he knew that regardless of his actions he would not leave the battlefield. Darke had been clever in his handling of the Covenant, striking them down in a way that meant they could not return. That did not mean that Protos had lost; there was still one option available, if he was willing to give up everything to achieve it. In the very core of his being he knew that he was.

He waited as the traitor gloated, much to Darke's annoyance. He watched for the moment of weakness when the traitor's attention was drawn away by Darke's demand that he hurry up. And as the traitor look away, Protos unleashed a single burst of energy, directing all his remaining strength into a single blow. The traitor was unconcerned and mockingly stepped out of the way, allowing the blast to shoot aimlessly into the sky.

At that moment Light, used a similar technique to direct a final attack of his own at Darke's forces. A golden wave of purity swept across existence, obliterating any servant of Darke it found and devastating the Army of Darkness. Those it could not destroy it forced in a dark realm where they would cause no further harm, sealing the dimensions as it did so. When it reached the planet where Protos had fallen, the golden wave tore into the traitor, reducing him to the same condition as Protos, before bombarding Darke with the remainder of Light's strength.

At that moment Darke realised that the traitor had failed him. Protos had not missed, he had maintained control of the energy blast the entire time and while Darke was trying to prevent the golden wave from negating his existence, Protos pulled the energy wave back to the planet and directed it at Darke. There was no way for Light and Protos to destroy Darke, they were too weak. Instead they used trickery to push the Avatar of Darkness into the planet, trapping him within an icy core cut off from his power. Light's energy then transported Protos away as the planet was thrown into a dark dimension for all eternity.

By that point Light had exhausted his strength and could not return to his previous state. Instead the golden wave continued to travel, spreading Light's essence through existence, ensuring that there would always be some light in the darkness. Eventually the golden wave vanished, leaving the universe at peace. 

* * *

Protos had been moved to safety by the golden wave, but he had not been healed. He would not call the result a triumph, for he knew that while Darke was trapped somewhere, Light had extinguished himself to gain the victory. Protos managed to stand, but was unable to summon the strength he needed to clean his sword or open his mangled helmet. After a short time, he collapsed. His existence was all but over; he had spent too long inside his dying shell. His energy was exhausted after his final attack to the point where he couldn't repair the damage enough to abandon his crippled armour. His time had come and all he could really do was ensure that his legacy would live on in the hearts of all good beings. His sword, shield and armour would be left for those that could use them, but to ensure that only those worthy of doing so claimed them, he provided them with the sentience needed to judge them worthy.

He smiled once again as he felt his body turn to the particles Light had used to craft it. The universe loved balance and he was a part of that balance. He would not survive to see the universe evolve, but Darke was forever sealed where he could not cause harm. The Covenant of Light was at peace.

**End of the Beginning. **


	3. Exodus of Power

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, they belong to their respective copyright owners and are used here without permission. No money is being made from this fic.

Authors Note: This is an alternate universe with an alternate time line.

Exodus of Power

Light was spread throughout existence, Darke had been left to radiate evil from his eternal prison; the traitor Mortilus had been broken by the golden wave and left tied to a physical shell that no longer operated, and Protos had seemingly returned to the matter from which he had been crafted along with the rest of the Covenant of Light. Of the three Avatars the The Life Giver had created, only Shadow survived. Peace reigned, balance had been achieved and tensions grew by the moment.

The struggle between good and evil, chaos and order, and light and dark, had not been settled. The removal of the opposing sides had left a vacuum that could not be filled by Shadow. As he tried to maintain the balance he found himself fighting an internal battle within his soul. Just as the conflict had driven The One to the point of insanity, so Shadow also suffered from the effects. But Shadow was unable to create new avatars and the internal conflict was tearing him apart... literally.

It started with Shadow talking to himself. The words turned harsh and those capable of sensing such things witnessed him arguing with the voices in his head. Soon words turned to violence as he tried to hurt himself to win the argument. As time passed Shadow reached the point of no return as his body mind and soul divided. With a bright flash of a new sun, Shadow was gone and in his place were those that would replace him and continue the struggle.

They fell through existence, thrown down from the highest planes where The One and those he had created had stood. They fell amongst those that the Celestials had created while Light and Darke had fought, those that had been birthed during the war but had not been a part of either the Army of Light or the Forces of Darke. They became the beings that would one day be regarded as the gods of their reality. They were divided between the good, the evil, the chaotic, the lawful, the creators and the destroyers, and those that represented various states of balance and neutrality. Groups formed among the many dimensions, creating pantheons to be worshipped by the lesser beings. Some chose forms that the mind could comprehend while others chose to resemble beasts.

Soon some of those gods tried to keep others from their domain. They erected boundaries to the planes and realms they occupied in the belief that the conflict would then be something they could escape when they wanted to. But such efforts only led to divisions within the pantheons as their memberships divided along the old lines of light and dark. It seemed that while balance and neutrality were acceptable, existence had no tolerance for peace.

* * *

While the newly created gods were settling into their new existence, the former followers of Light and Darke were coming to terms with their own circumstances. The golden wave had caused a cease fire as both sides had lost their figureheads, their generals and a large number of their forces. The golden wave had obliterated large numbers of Darke's soldiers and trapped those fortunate enough to survive in empty or inhospitable realms. Those realms had been sealed to prevent escape, effectively separating the two sides.

The last of Darke's army, made up of the twisted races, malignant spirits and astral parasites longed to fight on and take revenge for their defeat. But first they needed to break free of their prisons.

Despite being little more than puppets while Darke had been in command, some of his creations had gained freedom to act on their own in his absence. They believed themselves to be his rightful successors and vaguely aware of what had transpired in the universe beyond their prisons, started to call themselves Dark Gods. The survivors of Mortilus' tribe held themselves above the normal servants of Darke. They thought of themselves as first class warriors of darkness and the others as lesser soldiers.

When the golden wave had finally vanished from sight, the many realms that were inhabited by the defeated Army of Darkness were drawn together into a single, many-layered dimension of darkness with a special plane of suffering reserved for the devils that had followed Mortilus on his treacherous campaign. It was even rumoured that Mortilus himself could be found lurking broken and helpless in the deepest parts of the realm, but then some also theorised that Darke himself was imprisoned at its very centre.

* * *

The Army of Light had also found a new home. Many of the realms they had occupied during the war had been devastated by Darke's forces. Instead of rebuilding they had found a dimension that could accommodate the remainder of the tribes. They established new territories there under the guidance of the Covenant - for it seemed that while Protos had met a permanent end in the final battle and Mortilus was lost forever, others had survived their supposed deaths.

The Covenant established themselves as the Light Gods, leading those that were aware of the events happening elsewhere to designate the Dark and Light Gods as the Elder Gods and the pantheon birthed by Shadow as New Gods. The members of Protos' tribe were chosen to become the Heavenly Saints, counterparts to Mortilus' forces, while the rest became what the lesser peoples would refer to as Angels.

* * *

The gods soon grew tired of the constant fighting between good and evil. Being formed from Shadow's essence they did not have the strict black-and-white view that their predecessors held. Even the most noble of their kind was flawed in some way and even the most wicked possessed a small redeeming feature. One thing they did enjoy was playing with the new races that had started to worship them. The Mortal Realms were filled with those they could influence and torment without fear of reprisals. They allowed the flawed little people to battle on their behalf, often throwing obstacles in their path for fun.

But while they amused themselves by believing that they controlled the events in the Mortal Realm, they failed to understand how they had been rendered unimportant by the weaker but by no means inferior creatures.

* * *

A new battleground had been discovered by accident. The forces of darkness had tried for centuries to break the walls of their prison, only to come to the conclusion that they could not be breached from the inside. However some had discovered that the walls that could not be breached, could be stretched. A new realm had formed, the realm of lesser beings that lacked the powers of those that came before - perhaps a sign that the Celestials charged with shaping existence had run out of ideas. The Mortal Realm as it had been dubbed could be reached from any of the other dimensions. And while those trapped within the darkness could not physically leave their prison, they could reach out to those that resided there, just as Darke had whispered in the ears of the Covenant. But before they could really make a play for their new target, they first had to settle their internal power struggles.

With Darke gone the Dark Gods had started to position themselves to establish their place as his rightful successor. Holding the belief that there could be only one ultimate being of evil within their ranks and that all others had to bow before that being, they refused to share power or negotiate. The dark forces were divided by infighting as the struggled to claim the title of Darkest. Eventually through conquest and alliances three of the Dark Gods emerged to claim their place as Darke's successor.

The most powerful was Jeng'garr, the self-proclaimed Source of Evil. While to those that would come later all of the Dark Gods were immortal, they were capable of killing each other. Jeng'garr it seemed was immune from harm by either mortal or non-mortal means. Jeng'garr existed as dark energy possessing a lesser host. When the host was destroyed Jeng'garr would simply find a new host and without a host it was immune to harm. Jeng'garr was believed by many to have been one of those spawned by Darke himself. Currently inhabiting the body of a female, she was seductive, manipulative and vicious. She had drawn many an opponent in with her acts of supposed weakness only to strike the moment they fell for her deception. Jeng'garr led an army of those representing what some would consider the sinful evils.

Mallerok was considered second only to Jeng'garr, and many felt that was only because the two had never fought without interruption. While Jeng'garr sought the ordered corruption and subjugation of existence, Mallerok was wanted chaos and destruction. Mallerok corrupted all that followed it. Mallerok's influence could be felt throughout existence and while it lacked Jeng'garr's immortality, it was simply too vast to slay. In opposition to Jeng'garr taking on a female host, Mallerok was male. He was an unorthodox tactician, as skilled in planning as he was in combat. His schemes were designed to spread discord and chaos. He grew stronger as the universe around him burned.

Finally there was Sinn'narr. Compared to Jeng'garr and Mallerok, Sinn'narr was considered weak. He Sinn'narr lacked Jeng'garr's immortal form and Mallerok's ability to spread chaos wherever he went; he was magically and physically weaker than either of his rivals, but was ambitious and willing to do anything to get ahead. Sinn'narr emulated Mallerok, feeding off the energy of the Universe around him.

The last of Darke's successors had yet to emerge as Sinn'narr, Mallerok and Jeng'garr fought. It was clear that Sinn'narr was outmatched, likely only considered a contender because reality seemed to value the number three; three faces of The One, three Avatars of Light, Darke and Shadow; three clear divisions in the moral outlook of the universe.

The infighting spanned for countless ages. It was impossible for the combatants to eliminate their opposition when they had to protect themselves on two fronts. Sinn'narr proved to be a frustrating foe since his actions often prevented the other two from finishing their battles. Eventually Jeng'garr and Mallerok joined forces, just long enough to strike against Sinn'narr, easily disabling their weaker foe. By mutual agreement they did not finish him, deciding that the victor of their confrontation would do so as a sign that they had triumphed.

Sinn'narr didn't know what became of the others. When he had regained awareness, he had sought them out but could find no trace of them. He hoped that they had destroyed each other although witnesses had suggested that Mallerok had somehow tricked Jeng'garr into a battle she could not win before he too found himself in a losing battle and that both had somehow been imprisoned far away. Regardless of where they had gone, Sinn'narr had emerged as the unlikely victor, only to discover that his efforts had been for nought; in his absence other Dark Gods had emerged to claim the throne and with the continuous infighting, the idea of there being one absolute force of evil had been dismissed.

Instead of opposing each other they worked with their own forces to further their own aims. The evil Satan, the prideful Lucifer, the devious Mephisto, the mighty Poneros, the invincible Oligar, and the twisted Haz'tur; the disfigured Javius and the machine goddess Hysteria, along with their lesser siblings Nore, Gorg, Mu, and finally Ramon. Each claimed their own territory As they were joined by others that not been slaughtered in the previous fighting.

The followers of Mortilus snatched up the territories that had not been claimed. They considered themselves first class demons or devils as they preferred. The titles had little importance other than bolstering their egos. Those that were left were simply regarded as demons and developed their own caste system always with the intention of making themselves seem more important than those around them.

* * *

And with the question of who would lead settled by a mutual agreement to fight it out at a later date, the Dark Gods were able to turn their attention back to their real enemies. Before the infighting it had been discovered that there were ways to escape their prison.

Both sides boasted powerful entities capable of manipulating mortals on a mental, physical and magical level. Only the soul was immune to these influences since the only way a soul could be controlled was if the individual wished it to be controlled.

However, as the realms grew larger, so the cost of intervention in the world of mortals became ever greater, making such an act physically impossible. A demon could not set foot in the mortal world and use his great power to subjugate the population; angels also found it increasingly difficult to carry out pointless campaigns for the greater good. At least, not without significant cost. After one demon escaped Hell only to become trapped in a pocket dimension, the true cost was clear for all to see.

Saints and angels could freely enter the mortal realms by sacrificing their greater powers and descending to near-mortal levels. That meant they could take on an almost normal appearance. Those who existed in a spiritual form had to find a host. Dead bodies, plants and even rocks were acceptable hosts. Some spirits even managed to manipulate technology and inhabit everyday objects.

The main problem was that once they entered the mortal realm directly, their bodies were prone to damage. Spawning was the favoured solution to this problem since most minor demons were capable of creating an exact likeness of themselves, duplicating both physical and mental attributes. When their old body tired or was destroyed, they simply transferred their consciousness to the replacement form.

The other alternative was to transcend the realms through indirect means. By allowing themselves to be summoned, they retained most of their powers and providing they were strong willed, they were free to act. In some cases though they were bound to act as the slaves of those that summoned them. It was the mortals that devised the ceremonies that in effect created a binding contract between the demon and the mortal. The spells required a focus that if destroyed, would send the demon back to Hell. Some demons chose to simply use the access granted by such spells to intervene on behalf of a mortal in return for a soul, they could enjoy devouring, most often a child. The Dark God Lokar wreaked havoc on many worlds before he was vanquished.

The problems with being summoned were eventually nullified when it was discovered that they could inhabit the body of a willing mortal. All that mortal had to do was accept the offer of power and riches in return for their soul. Many demons used these rituals as ways to access the mortal realms and spread their influence. Since they could provide a way to channel the power of the universal energy, few hosts ever rejected them.

For saints and devils alike, there was no such need for ceremony. On the rare occasion that either side entered the mortal realms, they did so in mortal form. Should they desire to remain there they needed only to mate with a mortal. The saints of course had moral objections to such acts, but over time their intervention in the affairs of lesser beings dwindled.

Devils however mated whenever they wished, selecting their partners carefully for physical traits. Consensual sex was preferred since in that moment of passion their lover failed to realise the true face of their lover. However, a virgin sacrificed in their name was just as acceptable. Either way, the soul belonged to the devil involved.

If the devil in question was female though, the offspring had the potential to become even more powerful. It could be born in either realm, but was stuck there following birth. However, if born in the mortal realms it would retain the powers of its mother while looking perfectly normal. Such vile offspring could change at will into a demonic form, which allowed them to use the power of the universal energy field.

For most demons existence was a complex society of politics and treachery. Raw power alone was never enough to guarantee superiority and no position within the ranks of evil could be considered truly safe. By splitting into multiple entities, the evil force ensured its survival, but it also created infighting between the factions. And through all this, Sinn'narr tried to regain the position he had once held in a universe where he was now a nonentity, pushed aside by the creature known as the Adversary to do so.

The Adversary created the High Clan as part of his domain. Although it was an elite band of evil beings, its power and influence came mostly through trickery. The names were mostly creatures from mythology on human worlds; they'd never been seen together. That was because in truth the High Clan's more dominant personalities were actually one-entity. Each had their own area of the Adversary's kingdom to control, where they indulged in their own sinister hobbies. In all it added to the illusion of the Adversary's strength and added to his reputation.

The battle that had started between creatures that were a part of the fabric of existence was rapidly becoming a fight fought by the least powerful creatures with outcomes that not only challenged who would control the universe, but whether said universe would even survive the war. Eventually the fighting grew so intense that a truce was made limiting how the forces of Elder Gods could conduct their battle. That truce was to remain until the end of days.

**End of part **


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